This past Friday (13/2/26) saw lovers of highland piping fill out the function room of Airdrie Working Men’s Social Club in Lanarkshire. The large audience was made up of people from all over Scotland and even a group who had travelled up from southern England to attend.
The event was the very first held by the foundling charity, The Lanarkshire Piping and Drumming Trust.
By Dan Nevans
The recital featured champion piper and four-time Worlds winner P/M Stuart Liddell MBE with support from 2025 Royal National Mod champion and P/Sgt of Coalburn IOR, Cameron May, as well as a quartet of pipers from the 16-time World Champions, Shotts & Dykehead Caledonia.
Fear an Tigh for the evening was well known Lanarkshire piper, John Nevans, retired Pipe Major and pipe band adjudicator. In addition to the spectacular piping performances the audience heard a potted history of both Peter MacLeods from Peter Jr’s daughter Gina and Donald Williams was inducted as the first member of ‘The Lanarkshire Pipe Band Hall of Fame’.
In the past 18 months Connor Jardine, Cameron May and I have been working on a collection of pipe tunes centered around The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles). All three of us share a connection to ‘the Cams’ in one way or another and have enjoyed meeting people with similar links.
Some time in the early winter we passed a few major milestones in the process of creating the collection and this led us to one very serious question, ‘what will we do once ‘The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) Collection of Bagpipe Music’ hits the shelves and what do we do with the proceeds?
As such, we stand awaiting confirmation from Scotland’s charity ombudsman OSCR for the registration of ‘The Lanarkshire Piping and Drumming Trust’. Its objectives are to promote and support piping and pipe bands in the county of Lanarkshire.
We knew that we had to start by getting some cash in via a recital. Using our connections, Connor, a member of Inveraray & District PB, Cammy on the board of trustees, and myself a veteran member of Shotts, politely asked, and threatened our chosen recitalists until we had a show.
I floated the idea of choosing significant figures in the Lanarkshire pipe band scene and celebrating them as part of a ‘Hall of Fame’. Some of our greatest pipe band heroes go unsung and forgotten.
This inaugural year’s posthumous inductees were the globally famous P/M Tom MacAllister Jr. and Leading Drummer Alex Duthart of Shotts & Dykehead, two men who represented the county internationally and at the highest level of pipe bands.
Our living inductee this year was P/M Donald Williams of Coalburn IOR. Donald has been a member of Coalburn since the 1970s and took over as Pipe Major in 1979. He has stuck by the band in times of triumph and difficulty. As a teacher, Donald has produced generations of excellent pipers, many of whom now perform at the highest level.
Our intent is to run the Peter MacLeod Memorial recital annually, in recognition of both Peters of course, but primarily Peter Snr. as he was a Pipe Major in The Cameronians. A top level headliner and representative talent from the county as support is the aim for this event. We look forward to keeping you up to date with next year’s show as information becomes available.
Before I complete this dialogue and retreat to the safety of my pipe box, I’d like to offer up my most heartfelt thanks to some individuals and entities.
Firstly, Gina and the MacLeod family for allowing us to use their name for our event. A great thank you to the performers: Stuart Liddell for coming all the way from Inveraray to add his weight to our endeavour, Cameron May for his skill and talent on stage and off, Connor Jardine for captaining the ship, my father John Nevans for keeping proceedings moving as our compère, and my colleagues from Shotts, P/Sgt Graham Drummond, Margaret Houlihan and Ciaran Ross for giving up their time to come and play.
McCallum Bagpipes deserve rich applause for donating two ‘Kintyre’ practice chanters and a new to the market ‘MacRae by Stuart Liddell’ wooden pipe chanter for the raffle.
Finally, thanks to our hosts for the evening, Airdrie Working Men’s Club. It seemed more than fitting that we would use a social club to celebrate the piping and pipe bands of Lanarkshire. Till next time, please follow us on Facebook to keep up to date with our project!
The Glasgow Collection of Bagpipe Music
Now in its fifth reprint, this book of ceol beag first appeared in 1986. Tunes are: Mrs John MacColl, James MacMillan of Victoria – British Columbia, William MacDonald – Benbecula, Men of Argyll, Detroit Highlanders, Dumgoyne, Peat Harvest, Captain Grant, Braemar ‘Wali’, A Parting Glass, Ancient Clan March, Kitty Lie Over, MacDonald of the Isles, Battle of Sheriffmuir, Wellfield, Dunaskin Glen, Wallace’s Farewell to Kuratau, Farewell to Muirheads, Loudon’s Bonnie Woods and Braes (air), Achmore Loch, My Brown Haired Girl,…
